I'm following Toronto Danko Jones and his band have been the hardest working trio in Canada since they first started in 1996. Although his band achieved significant success outside of Canada, it was a long and difficult journey. But that's what you need if you want rock and roll. I spoke with Jones ahead of the release of the band's 12th album. Leo Risingwhich will be released on Friday, November 21st.
Alan Cross: How many years have you been doing this?
Danko Jones: Twenty nine.
AC: Did you ever expect this to become your life's work?
DJ: No. When we started this band, it was just after JC (bassist John Calabrese) and I had finished our local band's last record, and we had no expectations other than maybe releasing a demo on cassette or 7-inch. We just kept going. We've kind of painted ourselves into a corner with no plan B, so it's either this or bust.
AC: How do you do it twenty-nine years later, living in vans and buses? How do you stay motivated?
DJ: Motivating is easy. Motivation is a show. It's the pleasure this mongrel gets at the end of the day. But the essence of travel is completely different. It was even worse back in the day when we all just borrowed our parents' cars. We do the show for free. We get paid for the remaining 22 and a half hours. It gets harder over the years, but it got easier when we moved to vans, buses and planes.
It's hard to be away from home. When we started this band, we didn't think about that when we started the band. Then you get older, life happens, and you start to wonder how you're going to juggle it all, hold all those buckets. And you just… do. That's the only thing about this job – being in a band – it sucks. Being away from home, friends and family. I miss things. Even my connection to Toronto has changed. I come home and wonder, “What happened to this place? Where did it go?” When I drive around the city, I'm like a country bumpkin.
AC: You specialize in some sweaty barroom hard rock. How do you manage to maintain this over 12 albums? You get older, you become a better musician and so on. How do you manage to focus on this particular form of music?
DJ: The other two guys are in great shape. (Drummer) Rich Knox is actually a certified fitness trainer. JC gets to the point every day where Adidas took notice and got some sort of sponsorship. To me? I'm very energetic and I hope that's what gets me through this as I get older.
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AC: Let's talk about the new album, Leo Rising11 more songs that will sound great in a hot and stuffy hall. Is there more of an emphasis on melody on this record or am I just hearing something?
DJ: Yes, I think there is. There's been more emphasis on that on the last five albums than in the first half of our career. On the first six records I screamed and screamed some more. This was due to a lack of experience and self-doubt. If you stay in this game a little longer, everything will change. I am the same person I was when I was 16, in terms of worldview and politics. But from a singing point of view, yes. My approach to vocals has changed. And I'm a little more confident in my voice and singing. I've added a little more melody to the last few albums.
AC: “Insecurity” and “Danko Jones” are not two things I often lump together.
DJ: Right! And that's because it's the smoke and mirrors of show business. Individuals who are drawn to the stage – and I am no exception – often make up for lost time. (As you get older) you take the time to understand questions such as: “What is this motivation? Why am I doing what other people can't, won't, or won't do?” I use all these words and it's just code for “therapy.” Do this enough and you'll start to understand what the hell is going on. (Laughs)
I was afraid – and this is all in the past – that this knowledge would extinguish the drive, energy and flame of desire to go on stage. This was true for a while, but it was during a pandemic and luckily I was able to escape the horror.
AC: Several advance singles were released from the album, including What do you needwhich was not supposed to be an official single.
DJ: It was a teaser. But then it was added to radio playlists, and that changed the trajectory of the album.
The first official single was Every day is Saturday evening.
AC: I've heard you talk about the album and the name Kiss was mentioned a lot.
DJ: Yes, that's true. If Good time (from the last album, which became number one on radio in Germany) was our anthem like Rock 'n' roll all night or (AC/DC) Road to Hell. We've been chasing this for years. What are you doing to monitor this? The kiss was done Shout it loud that's what we did Every day is Saturday evening. I hope he will do the same for us.
AC: How did you get Marty Friedman (former Megadeth guitarist) to play? Diamond in the Rough?
DJ: We've been friends for about 15 years. I sang three songs on it Inferno album. We exchange emails and files and talk about different groups. Five albums after that record, I finally asked him to do something for him for the first time. Leo Rising. The songs were Kiss-style, and I know Marty's favorite bands are Kiss and the Ramones, so it was something he could sink his teeth into.
AC: Why is the album called Leo Rising?
DJ: The first album was called Born Leo. Twelve is a solid number (12 people at the Last Supper, that's 12 months, 12 days of Christmas). If Born Leo your sun sign, your rising sign is something completely different – the time of your birth – so this is an astrological kind of anchor that we can use. I'm a Leo sun sign with a Pisces rising, so you see a different version of me on and off stage. I only know this because I interacted with many people interested in astrology when I was 20 years old.
AC: You are one of the few bands that still make complex music videos.
DJ: For some reason we succeeded. Song Diamond in the Rough features a Swedish Kiss tribute band called Wicked Kisser and they lip sync the song. My parts were filmed in the living room and we did it Phantom of the Park-kind of a tribute.
AC: Are you still writing? I remember how you and I commiserated about how difficult it was to come up with 800 words a week.
DJ: All these publications went out of business, so I lost all my columns. I don't do podcasts anymore either. But I tried to restart the podcast and started writing again in the process. I'm doing a podcast exclusively for our group. No interviews. I am one of two world experts in our group. The other is J.C.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
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